Effects of different carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages on the appearance of ingested deuterium in body fluids during moderate exercise by humans in the heat

Abstract

To determine whether different forms of glucose (free and polymer) associated with sodium chloride influence the rate of water absorption during exercise in the heat, six men took part in five trials. Each trial included a passive heating session which resulted in a 2% loss of body mass, followed by 1h of treadmill exercise (at 50% of maximal oxygen uptake) in warm conditions (dry bulb temperature 35°C, relative humidity 20%–30%). Immediately before exercise, the subjects were given either no fluid or a volume equal to 50% of the fluid previously lost (about 650  ml), chosen from among four D₂O-labelled beverages : mineral water, a 6% glucose-electrolyte solution (GS), a 6% maltodextrin solution and a 6% maltodextrin-electrolyte solution. No significant differences were observed among these various beverages so far as temporal accumulation of deuterium in plasma, sweat and urine was concerned. During GS, the plasma volume was completely restored and the drifts of heart rate and rectal temperature were less marked than during other trials. These results would suggest that rehydration with GS was more efficient, probably because of an internal redistribution of water. The proportion of ingested water was twice as high in sweat as it was in urine. These findings may reflect the essential part played by circulatory adjustments in the transfer of plasma water into sweat and urine.